EUTELSAT 9B is a geostationary satellite designed to broadcast hundreds of television channels across Europe and better link European surveillance satellites and the International Space Station to scientists on the ground. The Eutelsat 9B communications satellite carries conventional Ku-band transponders primed to beam television signals to homes and businesses from the United Kingdom to the Middle East. A high-tech laser communications terminal is also fastened to the satellite, which will become the first node of the European Space Agency's new data relay service to connect spacecraft in low Earth orbit with users at unprecedented speeds. The satellite is located at 9 degrees east longitude. The Eutelsat 9B satellite, based on Airbus Defense and Space's Eurostar E3000 spacecraft bus, is designed for a 15-year mission.